Gonzaga may have a path to bring back one more familiar face.
Ines Bettencourt, who spent the past two seasons with the Bulldogs after two years at UConn, has entered the transfer portal after being among the 73 plaintiffs granted a fifth season of eligibility through a temporary restraining order in the California lawsuit, according to Tuesday’s announcement. The same TRO opened an August 18-24 portal window for those players, and Talia Goodman of On3 reported that Bettencourt used it.
That gives Bettencourt a chance to shop her options for the 2026-27 season, but a return to Spokane remains very much on the table.
Lisa Fortier’s team already kept 10 players from last season, a notable holdover in the current NIL and transfer portal landscape, and Bettencourt would slide back into a roster she knows well. She averaged 6.3 points and 3 assists last season and has built a reputation as a veteran presence and a defensive stopper, the kind of player who can plug right back into the mix.
Gonzaga has already seen two departures through the portal: freshman guard Paige Lofing and redshirt senior guard Vera Gunaydin, who moved on to Montana and North Alabama, respectively. Lofing averaged 2.2 points in 6.6 minutes per game, so those exits did not significantly reshape the rotation.
Fortier has also added to the roster with transfers Emmy Roach and Jocelyn Medina, along with freshman Abby Lusk. Roach put up 6.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.2 steals, 1.0 assists and 1.0 blocks per game as a sophomore at Rider in the MAAC last season. Medina came from Denver, where she averaged 6.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.1 steals as a junior.
On paper, both look like natural fits in the kind of defensive-minded guard and wing roles Bettencourt has handled next to sophomore standout Lauren Whittaker and junior guard Allie Turner.
The wrinkle is roster balance. Gonzaga still has two open spots, and Bettencourt’s return would almost certainly mean a change in the backcourt rotation.
Junior Teryn Gardner would likely move into the starting lineup, while Roach and Medina would help absorb Bettencourt’s minutes off the bench. That leaves an obvious question: would Bettencourt be willing to accept a reserve role after starting all 33 games a year ago?
If she isn’t, then Fortier has to weigh how Gardner and the newcomers would react to a late-August shift in playing time. If she is, the reunion becomes a clean one.
For now, Bettencourt is in the portal, but she still has a clear path back to Gonzaga. And if that door closes, she should have no shortage of options for one last run in college basketball.
In Other News...
Gonzagas Point Guard Plans Just Got Complicated Again
Javon Bennetts path to Gonzaga got a lot less straightforward again this week, and for a player trying to map out his next college season, the timing matters. The Dayton transfer and Gonzaga point guard commit had been moving through the usual offseason questions, but his case now sits inside a much bigger NCAA eligibility fight that continues to bounce between courts.
Recent legal wins for the NCAA have complicated the picture, with stays granted in the federal Wisne lawsuit and in the Borovicanin case out of Ohio. Those rulings affect Bennett and other athletes seeking a fifth season, even as some players in similar situations, including Gonzaga commit Chauncey Wiggins, still remain eligible under separate state injunctions. For Gonzaga, it is another reminder that roster planning can change quickly while the legal process keeps sorting itself out. [Read more 🡒]
Gonzagas Backcourt Plans Just Took Another Hit Before The Season
The latest court ruling has added another layer of uncertainty to Gonzagas backcourt plans before the season even gets going. In the Wisne vs. NCAA federal lawsuit, the Tenth Circuit granted the NCAAs stay request, which means student-athletes from the 2022 class are now ineligible while the case works through the appeals process. For Gonzaga, the immediate impact falls on Dayton transfer point guard Javon Bennett, whose status for the upcoming season is now in question.
Bennett is not the only name to monitor, either. Xaivian Lee, Donovan Dent and Chauncey Wiggins remain eligible for now because of separate state rulings, but that does not mean their situations are settled. NCAA stay requests in those cases could still change the picture, leaving Gonzaga with a roster issue that could shift again before the Bulldogs ever get to opening night. [Read more 🡒]
Gonzagas New Years Eve Test Adds Intrigue To Late Nonconference Slate
A New Years Eve date has added another wrinkle to Gonzagas nonconference schedule, with Cornell set to visit Spokane on Dec. 31 for the programs first meeting. The matchup gives the Bulldogs one more home tune-up before the calendar turns, and it arrives as they continue to sort through the kind of late-season games that can still shape rhythm and momentum heading into conference play.
Cornell comes in as a team that finished fourth in the Ivy League last season and is guided by third-year coach Jon Jaques, making this more than just a placeholder on the schedule. For Gonzaga, the interest is partly about familiarity, or the lack of it, since this will be an uncommon type of nonconference visitor and a fresh look before the more familiar grind of league play begins in January. [Read more 🡒]